[f_minor] sonic collision

[Houpt, Fred]

Excellent and clarifying quote.

Fred 

-----Original Message-----
From: f_minor-bounces at glenngould.org
[mailto:f_minor-bounces at glenngould.org] On Behalf Of Brad Lehman
Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 5:07 PM
To: Discussion of the Canadian pianist Glenn Gould.
Subject: Re: [f_minor] sonic collision

Missed the couple of words "and organs" in one sentence; here's the
corrected quotation from the Payzant book (which Gould read, blessed,
and reviewed himself).  Also, the first Canadian edition of it was out
in 1978, not 1984.  Here goes:

"It seems from his recordings and from his own accounts of them that
Gould failed to assimilate the actions of harpsichords and organs, to
come to terms with their tactilia. So he compelled himself to pretend
that he was playing on his piano instead. So far as tactilia are
concerned there is almost nothing in common among the actions of organs,
pianos and harpsichords. Weight of touch produces no effect upon
loudness on the organ, and very little if any on the harpsichord; hence,
so far as 'control' is concerned these instruments are at least as
different from the piano as they are in respect of 'tactile grab and
immediacy'. Thus, for any pianist a drastic redirection of focal
attention from the music itself to the tactilia is demanded when he goes
from piano to harpsichord or organ.  This would be particularly the case
if the pianist had not remained in regular contact with those two
instruments, as Gould has not. In his case the effects of this drastic
redirection of focal attention can be observed in his harpsichord and
organ discs. In the former, as I have mentioned, he slams the key into
its bed; it is like a centipede jabbing to find its footing on 
unfamiliar ground."   (Payzant, "Glenn Gould: Music and Mind", p112 of 
the 1984/1992 edition)


Brad Lehman


On 7/21/2010 4:49 PM, Brad Lehman wrote:
> It has nothing to do with "emotional bluster" by GG; he simply hit the

> instrument's keys too hard, making mechanical noise that really 
> doesn't need to be there. Try this one:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZ_PJvAYlX4
> But, it's even clearer on the Handel recording, because the general 
> quality of the recording is much better....
>
> Geoffrey Payzant's book (1984), p112: "It seems from his recordings 
> and from his own accounts of them that Gould failed to assimilate the 
> actions of harpsichords, to come to terms with their tactilia. So he 
> compelled himself to pretend that he was playing on his piano instead.
> So far as tactilia are concerned there is almost nothing in common 
> among the actions of organs, pianos and harpsichords. Weight of touch 
> produces no effect upon loudness on the organ, and very little if any 
> on the harpsichord; hence, so far as 'control' is concerned these 
> instruments are at least as different from the piano as they are in 
> respect of 'tactile grab and immediacy'. Thus, for any pianist a 
> drastic redirection of focal attention from the music itself to the 
> tactilia is demanded when he goes from piano to harpsichord or organ. 
> This would be particularly the case if the pianist had not remained in

> regular contact with those two instruments, as Gould has not. In his 
> case the effects of this drastic redirection of focal attention can be

> observed in his harpsichord and organ discs. In the former, as I have 
> mentioned, he slams the key into its bed; it is like a centipede 
> jabbing to find its footing on unfamiliar ground."
>
> Brad Lehman
>
>
> On 7/21/2010 4:17 PM, michael macelletti wrote:
>> these " thumping " or " pounding " references to either gg's 
>> harpsichord or piano playing are beginning to get a bit tiresome. YOU

>> might want to live in a world inhabited exclusively by the likes of 
>> lionel party, but please, leave me out. i prefer gg's emotional 
>> bluster to effete intellectual purity anytime.
>>
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>> ---
>> *From:* Brad Lehman <bpl at umich.edu>
>> *To:* Discussion of the Canadian pianist Glenn Gould.
>> <f_minor at glenngould.org>
>> *Sent:* Wed, July 21, 2010 11:22:57 AM
>> *Subject:* Re: [f_minor] sonic collision
>>
>> On 7/21/2010 9:33 AM, Houpt, Fred wrote:
>> > I think GG played the Clavichord but maybe not recorded on such.
>>
>> I don't recall seeing any mention of Gould playing the clavichord, 
>> anywhere in the Gould literature that I've seen. Given the way he hit

>> that Wittmayer "harpsichord" too hard, pounding the jacks into the 
>> rail, I don't think he had any clue about playing the clavichord or 
>> using its fingerings, either. :)
>>
>> Wanna hear somebody hit a clavichord hard? Oscar Peterson's album of 
>> "Porgy and Bess", accompanied by Joe Pass on guitar. The person in 
>> charge of the clavichord said later that they'd had to retune the 
>> instrument after every take, because Peterson was bending the strings

>> so much with his touch.
>>
>> Brad Lehman
>>
>>
>>
>>

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